The Chain, cont.

[Talisman]

Neil, we're old, this will not do,
Listen as we plead with you.
 
Relieve us of the heavy toil
Of making space for fear of spoil.

Lest your tyranny you rue,
When you're locked inside the loo,

Poisonéd with U-no-poo


Talisman, quickly tucking a suspicious-looking bottle into her 
pocket:

--- In the_old_crowd at yahoogroups.com, Catherine Coleman 
<catorman at y...> wrote:

--- Talisman <talisman22457 at ...> wrote:
<lots of predictions for book 7, and more besides>:

...to Hogwarts, if for nothing  else, for the TR trophy/Hufflepuff 
cup.

Catherine:
>This one I do not buy. I don't believe the trophy Tom Riddle got 
>could be a horcrux. 

Talisman:
Well, naturally I would beg to differ.  The think the Hufflepuff cup-
-now at Hogwart's in the guise of the TR Trophy--is a delightful 
Horcrux. To the extent such things can be delightful.  Perhaps 
that's the first wrinkle to straighten out. 

It is the *Hufflepuff cup*--hence the slash--it is not the actual 
cup Riddle received  for Special Services--it is the Hufflepuff cup 
fixed up to look like the Riddle trophy. 

I think it's perfect.  Ron had to polish slugs off of it all night, 
so he certainly won't forget it.  He told the rest of the trio, and 
they all considered it in their deliberations about who Riddle might 
be; therefore, any one of them could plausibly have an epiphany when 
the time is ripe to find it. 

>From a literary point of view, it's wonderfully slipped into the 
background: the causal hidden in the casual, a perfect mystery clue; 
the little thing of no importance that pops up with new meaning. 

Moreover, readers think they are "done" with it, that it played out 
it's role in CoS, providing a clue to Riddle's identity. 
But, it's baa-ack.

What's worse, Rowling waves it in our faces every time we visit the 
Site of the Month page.  Cheeky little tart.

Catherine:
>For one thing, I don't think that Voldemort would put part of his 
>soul in anything which >reminded him of his Muggle heritage. He 
>hates the name Riddle - why would he >continue to be associated 
>with it, particularly entrust something as valuable as his soul >to 
>it?


Talisman:
Well, there's the Dairy--Tom Riddle's name on it, Tom Riddle's 
likeness inside of it--yet it was a Horcrux. LV doesn't seem to mind 
recalling his Riddle days, when it suits his purposes.

Plus, the actual thing containing his soul is a founders relic, the 
Hufflepuff cup.  While the thing it is disguised as, the Riddle 
trophy, was earned by killing a muggle, framing a half-breed, and 
duping the authorities. 

Got to be a laugh in that, every time he thinks of it.  Tom Riddle's 
early glory days, a happy souvenir. A way of keeping faith with the 
vows he made while still in school.

There is more, but let's take a look at your last objection.

Catherine:
>Also, lets suppose that he did use the trophy. How? Who did he kill 
>to be able
>to do it? He can't have done it whilst asking for the DADA post - 
>he couldn't presumably kill someone whilst on the premises - not 
>right under Dumbledore's nose. 

Talisman:
No, he didn't kill anyone while he was visiting about the DADA 
post.  But, it isn't necessary to kill someone at the spot where you 
store your completed Horcrux.

Catherine:
>And the only death we know about whilst he was at school was 
>Myrtle, who died by Basilisk glare.

Talisman:
Of course we now know that he killed his Riddle relatives before 
leaving school, and I believe Morfin, as well.  (I need to reread. 
I've only read it once, and though I was done by Saturday afternoon, 
I read the whole thing out loud to a dyslexic child, so it wasn't  
the best session for text analysis.) Yes, he had the ring when he 
spoke to Slughorn, so Morfin, as well.

But, he didn't obtain the Hufflepuff cup until after school.  Maybe 
he could keep soul bits in temporary storage, maybe not.  It would 
be worth an additional laugh to make the Faux-Riddle Cup out of the 
Riddle murders.

It's of no consequence, whomever he killed, before or after 
graduating, all he had to do was replace the mundane trophy with the 
finished Horcrux.  He certainly could do that while on a visit to 
the school. Stop by to see the old trophy, and a quick as Bob's-your-
uncle the job is done.

As Hagrid said, if there is anyplace something is safer than at 
Gringotts, it's Hogwarts.  

Planting a Horcrux there, in addition to having the laugh that DD is 
guarding it for you, is good strategy--especially if you're not sure 
your DE's are all that loyal.  A little piece of you where they are 
not welcome. 

Plus LV has a thing about the school, and a wish to be attached to 
it.

Catherine:
>I don't think it makes sense that a horcrux can be created when 
>someone/something else >committed the murder - unless the intention 
>is enough, even if you don't do it yourself?

Talisman: 
I'm quite sure he murdered someone, properly.

> Catherine wrote:
> >Why is Dumbledore saying one thing at the end of OoP, and then at
> the beginningof HBP, a mere few weeks later, is saying something 
completely
> different?
>
> Talisman responds:
>> Do you really want me to say it? <g>
>
>Catherine:
>OK, hit me with it. What theory have I missed this time? <vbg>

Talisman: 
This was rather a rhetorical question, my infamous position 
regarding DD's veracity being what it is, I am never surprised at 
his doubletalk.  But, when I have a bit more time to spend at the 
key board, I'll try to answer you in sincerity. 

Talisman, certain you can become an Inferi by staring at a computer 
screen too long.